Water Alert Lifted – City of Salem


Late yesterday afternoon, June 2, the drinking water band in the City of Salem was lifted. There are a few things that you can do immediately to clear out your water systems. The following information is reprinted from the Statesman Journal online. For the complete article go to:
https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2018/06/02/salem-drinking-water-crisis-warning-lifted-next-steps/666582002/

Flush out faucets: Flush cold water out of faucets by turning on your cold water tap at all faucets and running the water until it feels noticeably colder. This can take several minutes.

Begin with the faucets on the highest floor in your home or building. Start opening other faucets one at a time, moving from the highest floor to the lowest.

OHA recommends flushing hot water for 5 to 10 minutes.

Again, begin with the faucets on the highest floor in your home or building, opening them one at a time, moving from the highest floor to the lowest.

When you flush your hot water lines, new water will replace the water in your hot water tank.

OHA said the order of flushing – hot and then cold or cold and then hot – doesn’t matter.

Apartment managers should follow the same procedures, starting with higher units and working down to lower ones, said Kenny Larson, city of Salem spokesman.

Refrigerators and ice makers: OHA recommends consulting your owner’s manual for directions to clean appliances such as water softeners and filters.

For water dispensers and ice makers connected to your water line, flush and clean them, following directions in your owner’s manual or:
• Flush the water dispenser for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Change the filter cartridge.
• Run the ice maker for 1 hour, then throw that ice out.
• Wash and sanitize ice bins.

Restaurants and food service providers with large quantities of ice are encouraged to call Marion County Health and Human Services Environmental Health at 503-910-8891 Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 503-588-5346 Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Thank you for taking time to read and please know that my door is always open, and I welcome your comments and concerns.

Sincerely,